"Have you seen the lighthouse yet? I've been wanting to do so ever since Quink's last publication!""I haven't been since his last publication, no; we were just heading that way, actually. Care to join us? You can give me your take on his latest work on the way. Do you think we have time before lunch? I want to see the lighthouse again, but I don't want to miss lunch either..."
"Lunch first." Talia says cheerfully. "Always eat when you can, and festivals are more fun with food anyway. Besides, the Lighthouse is going anywhere is it?"
Isabella curtseys to Talia and says, "Pleased to meet you. Um, I'm not sure if food is being served yet? I suppose we can check before we walk all the way up to the Old Light."
"Cathedral Square is on the way to the lighthouse, we could just swing by and see if there is food yet. I won't be too upset about missing any games, if the ceremonies get started; we can always go look at the lighthouse later." Rasmorn says, with an agreeable bob of the head.
Looking over at Talia, Rasmorn says "So what have you been up to lately? Been on any exciting expeditions since our trip out to the Crystilan?"
Talia smiles at Isabella. "Oh I wasn't talking about anything formal for a meal, just stuffing my face on what the stalls have to offer." She looks a little rueful. "Maybe one day I'll grow up enough not to run around festivals trying every treat on offer."
Looking back to Rasmorn. "No, nothing exciting I'm afraid. Just going around knocking on doors trying to get employed." A shrug. "You know how it is Ras, you have to make your name before the jobs start coming to you."
Rasmorn looks slightly annoyed when referred to as "Ras", and says to Isabella "Rasmorn Nikas Nesvyn von Natterhorn; is that really so hard to say? It's bad enough I already go by just the one name, when I came up with 5 perfectly good names, but she insists on shortening it even further. I ask you, is 'Rasmorn' really that complicated? By the end of our last expedition, she had the whole crew referring to me as 'Ras'."
After watching about five races, you notice that the pink, yellow, and blue lizards seem more motivated than the other nine lizards.
As you approach the end of Junker's Way, you see that a table has been set up next to the Old Light, with six stones stacked on it. 20 feet away is a firing line, along with what appears to be a small catapult. The catapult is practically a work of art, and has been carved into the shape of a stone giant's arm. It also looks difficult to aim, and a bespectacled man appears to be helping a boy aim the catapult. There is a pile of toy catapults nearby. As you approach, you overhear one of the women nearby saying, "Those catapults are just the right size for the boys to shoot an eye out. There'll be problems, mark my words." Another responds with, "Oh, stop complaining. You just gave your son a couple coppers to try and win one."
Rasmorn takes in the scene, and smiles warmly at the man trying to help the boy win the game. He quietly says "How nice of him to help like that".
He quickly disregards the idea of trying to aim that beast of a catapult himself, and turns his eye to the real reason he came out this far - the ruined remains of the great lighthouse. (I wonder if old Quink could be right about this place? How fascinating that would be).
"She's a beauty, isn't she? Crazy murder base besides, of course. Still a magnificent structure!" Turning to his companions, he asks "Do either of you want to try your hand at the game? I think I'll pass."
"Oh, what an amusement! Aesrick!" she shouts. "You've outdone yourself!"
To Rasmorn she says, "I'm not sure that siege weaponry is in my forte, Rasmorn, but I do love seeing it make so many people happy."
She points at the Old Light and says, "I suppose it could be some kind of watchtower; that's all a lighthouse is, really. But I am not sure about how it would be a weapon like Master Quink theorizes. Perhaps you could explain it to me better? I'm not much on military history."
Having realized that Shalelu might not make an appearance in all the crowds, Yasu found himself stuck with nothing to do but enjoy the day. The man continues to wander, coming up Junker's way and stepping around the group. His eyes flash with sadness for but an instant when he realizes Isabella is there, and he quickly turns to Aesrick and hands him three silver pieces.
"I'll... give it a couple of shots, Aesrick." Yasu says. "What's left over... I guess use it in case a kid doesn't have enough, okay?" The last request is spoken quietly between him and Aesrick, not meant to be a grand gesture or a show of money.
He moves the catapult with ease, but his aim isn't very spectacular. He does manage to knock down one stone, but he doesn't seem very pleased with himself.
She points at the Old Light and says, "I suppose it could be some kind of watchtower; that's all a lighthouse is, really. But I am not sure about how it would be a weapon like Master Quink theorizes. Perhaps you could explain it to me better? I'm not much on military history."
Rasmorn nods along with Isabella as she talks, then responds. "Well, in looking at the ruins we have today, it is clearly a tower of some sort. See the flat area at the top?" he asks, pointing it out. "There are a lot of Thassalonian markings and writings all over that area. It is hard to know for sure, but many of these markings seem to indicate that there was a light of some sort there, which is why most assume it was a lighthouse. Quink believes, though, that those markings indicate that it was actually a massive weapon, meant to attack all the way to another nation! So it wouldn't be an ordinary weapon, even a siege weapon like these catapults; instead, it would be an offensive weapon meant to strike with fire from across the sea. A truly massive and scary thought."
Rasmorn is pensive for a moment, then continues - "His theories are not without merit, but mostly I don't agree with him simply from a lack of evidence. Such a massive tower could be a weapon, but it seems more likely that it's use was much more simple than all that." He gestures over to the masked man currently using the catapult. "I see it much the same way as I see that fellow over there. He is large, clearly strong, and wears a hood and an imposing mask. It would be easy to assume that such an intimidating package conceals terrible violence; however, in truth, he is probably just a large man who enjoys a good mask. I find that the simple answers tend to be right more often than not."
Isabella nods along as Rasmorn explains. "I'm not fluent in Thassilonian, so I don't understand all the writing on there. I suppose if it was some kind of weapon, all of the workings would have been stripped out long ago by opportunists, so that would certainly leave a hollow shell with nothing more than some stairs and walls. But yes, it's hard to say definitively, when little remains besides the structure. I suppose it's somewhat like looking at some scraps of cloth and trying to deduce whether they came from the sewing of a bodice or a tunic," she says thoughtfully.
"Thank you for indulging my curiosity," she continues. "Perhaps a diviner could use magic to learn more about the past of the place?"
Isabella nods along as Rasmorn explains. "I'm not fluent in Thassilonian, so I don't understand all the writing on there. I suppose if it was some kind of weapon, all of the workings would have been stripped out long ago by opportunists, so that would certainly leave a hollow shell with nothing more than some stairs and walls. But yes, it's hard to say definitively, when little remains besides the structure. I suppose it's somewhat like looking at some scraps of cloth and trying to deduce whether they came from the sewing of a bodice or a tunic," she says thoughtfully.
"Thank you for indulging my curiosity," she continues. "Perhaps a diviner could use magic to learn more about the past of the place?"
Rasmorn nods emphatically at her comparison to the scraps of cloth. "That is a really good analogy for it; difficult to tell much at all about the original use when all you have are the scraps! The traps of studying history, I'm afraid. Divination isn't really my magical forte, so I couldn't tell you for sure. Seems like it could help, but then again, I would imagine what divination could be attempted without tearing down the structure would have been long since done. Perhaps not, though. Hard to say."
After enjoying the Dragon Races for some time, Wenona decides it best to see a least a few more sights of the festival rather than ossifying at a single event. Noticing the sack races, she meanders in that direction.
Her stomach gurgles. I ate light for most of the trip here, and that jerky was delicious but seems to have just made me hungrier. Hopefully lunch will be served soon!
After a spell of leaning against a building and loitering, Laufey grows restless. She decides to burn some time before the meal by wandering around and looking at the wares for sale. A scarf, if it was just right, might not be out of line to spend on. They're endlessly useful, and having more than one might be a good idea.
As mid-day comes, the townspeople seem to all flock back towards Cathedral Square. The smells of lunch permeate the air as there is a sense of anticipation. With the crowd gathered, Father Zantus and several acolytes wheel a wagon covered by a cloth into the square. Father Zantus steps up to the stage, and as he holds up his arms the crowd quiets. He then says, "It is on this day, the first of Rova, that we remember the blessings Desna has for those who show kindness to travelers and strangers. Many years ago, an avatar of Desna was fighting the foul goddess, Lamashtu, Mother of Monsters. The avatar was injured, and fell to Golarion. There, as She lay wounded, She was found by a girl who could not see. The blind girl knew only that she had found someone who was wounded, and so the girl took Her to a place of safety and nursed Her back to health. Once She was healed, Desna turned the girl into a beautiful, immortal swallowtail butterfly so she might see the wonders of the world for all time. It is in remembrance of Desna's glorious blessing upon one who sought only to heal her that we commemorate this day with the release of the swallowtail butterflies."
He motions to the acolytes, who remove the cloth, and hundreds of swallowtail butterflies emerge, creating a beautiful rainbow of floating color. Several children excitedly jump up and down as the crowd ooohs and aaahs at the butterflies. Smiling, Father Zantus says, "The swallowtails shall be here all day, I am sure. And now, as you must be getting hungry, the proprietors of our inns have prepared a wonderful lunch for you, free of charge. Please, enjoy yourselves, and return here at dusk for the consecration of the Cathedral."
Three of the inns - the Rusty Dragon, the White Deer Inn, and the Hagfish - have set up food stalls in the square. There are also tables and benches set up at which people can sit and eat. The Rusty Dragon's owner, Ameiko Kaijitsu, has prepared a curried salmon. Garridin Viskalai of the White Deer Inn has prepared a peppercorn venison, and one-legged Jargie Quinn has prepared a lobster chowder. All smell good, although the line for the Rusty Dragon is the longest.
Rasmorn smiles gently as the butterflies are released. (How pretty) His gaze lingers on them for a moment, and then is drawn down to the various food stalls.
He looks to his companions. "Do either of you have a lunch preference? I haven't had a good bowl of lobster chowder in a long time, but I also know that Ameiko makes some amazing food."
"I'm angling for some of the peppercorn venison, myself," says Isabella. "Though I could do with a small cup of chowder to go with it."
Wenona marvels at the swallowtail butterflies as they pour into the sky. Her heart wells up a bit: It has been some time since she'd witnessed such a joyous testament to her goddess.
Presented with the lunch options, she was briefly torn. Curry had been available in Kaer Maga (because everything is available in Kaer Maga) and had quickly become one of her favorite foods.
However it had been years since she'd had seafood in a proper seaside town, and her palate couldn't resist the comfort of nostalgia. She lined up for the lobster chowder, her stomach rumbling in anticipation.
Talia nods in agreement with Isabella. "The venison sounds good. Then we can try the chowder if we're still hungry. And maybe the line will have cleared and we can have some of the curry as well."
Rasmorn looks incredulously over at Talia. "All three? You must be a magic user of some sort, to eat as much as you do and stay so small. Every expedition was the same way, yet she never looks any different." He shakes his head. "Venison works for me!"
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The release of the swallowtail butterflies is beautiful, but only a temporary diversion for Laufey. Her stomach is seriously rumbling by the time lunch is available. She had traded away any hope of breakfast for the extra sleep this morning, and the bread the masked man had given her hadn't gone very far.
She found herself longing for seafood but she doesn't know what chowder is. The salmon has an appealing but strange spiced aroma. She might have chosen it at another time, but the risk of it being inedible is too great when she is so hungry. It had been a long time since fish, but it would have to be a little longer.
As she joins the line for venison, How can you screw up venison? she sees a coterie of very odd people in the line a little ahead of her. First there is a gnome. She had seen gnomes in Kalsgard of course, but not like this one. He looked as if all the color had somehow been drained from him, like a person who has been bled too much with leeches can lose their color. But in his case, even his hair had gone white.
Beside him is a woman of some considerable beauty, also white, or maybe silver haired. She is human certainly, but there is something else about her that Laufey can not quite place. Human but more, or altered? She does not look right for a changeling or skinwalker though.
But it is the last of the three who excites her. A woman with dark hair who is certainly a half-elf! Laufey had only seen one other before, a man on a crowded street in Riddleport. He did not look like the type to answer questions or greet a stranger with kindness. But here, in this small town, on a merry day like this? I must meet her! What will she be like? I wonder if she speaks elven? Does he know any elves? Then there are some darker notions. Did one of her parents murder the other? Did she have her nose broken because she refused to be mocked by other children?
There are so many questions. But the first to deal with is How do I meet her? What do I say?
Isabella chuckles at Rasmorn's comment and says, "I know the feeling, if I eat too much rye bread my hips turn into dinner rolls too!"
The butterflies are beautiful, and it fills him with wonder when they swirl through the air before departing. Wow! I think there's nearly twice as many as they usually have! This festival's a big deal for the church! he thinks. As a Sandpoint citizen, he finds these things to be great fun. Watching the children jump and holler, some trying to catch a butterfly, makes something in his heart twist up. They don't know how great they've got it. But... I'm glad they do.
Yasu makes sure to be in line for the salmon as soon as it opens. He could go for the Venison, but he eats that regularly so it's more blaze to him. Why go for something you hunt for all the time, when you could have CURRY?
Wondering about the woman who had treated him decently, he looks around to see she's in line for the Venison. Probably a good idea. She was hungry. he thinks with a chuckle. However, that fades when he sees the people standing in line before her. The silver-haired girl standing in line just a couple down reminded him, and he turns back to what he's doing, hoping that the curry is enough to distract him. I don't want to think about it. It's not like she chose to be what she is either.
Getting to the front, he gives Ameiko (who would be presumably promoting her inn while serving the food) a big smile. "Some of the curry please." he asks, "By the way, have you seen Shalelu? I've been wanting to ask her about ranger work, but... you know how hard it is to find her when she doesn't want to be found."
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Glancing around while waiting (impatiently) Talia notices an exotic looking Half-elf woman behind them in the line.
While Talia is familiar with Half-elves the woman's coloring and height mark her as coming from far away. She gives her a friendly smile as waves her to join the group.
"Greetings to you Sister." She says in an easy voice. "I like your hair."
Smiling at Yasu as she hands him a plate of the salmon, Ameiko says, "Likely she's somewhere out in the hinterlands. She doesn't like spending a lot of time in towns - she likely won't be through for another month or so, based on her last supply visit. You could speak to Sheriff Hemlock and see if he would have anything you could do to help the town guard."
Receiving her bowl of chowder and spoon, Wenona thanks Jargie Quinn and abandons all pretense of restraint as she digs in while casually scanning for an open seat at a bench.
She notices the gaggle of odd characters in line for the White Deer's offering: two half-elves, a gnome, and a... human? There was something odd about her, though Wenona couldn't quite place it from a distance.
In Kaer Maga the group would have hardly stood out, but in considerably less cosmopolitan Sandpoint they drew the eye a bit.
Smiling at Yasu as she hands him a plate of the salmon, Ameiko says, "Likely she's somewhere out in the hinterlands. She doesn't like spending a lot of time in towns - she likely won't be through for another month or so, based on her last supply visit. You could speak to Sheriff Hemlock and see if he would have anything you could do to help the town guard."
Yasu takes his plate and thanks her. "I'll do that. I think I'll wait for him to be less busy though, I bet the festivities will have him busy for the day. Thank you."
Rasmorn looks up at the new arrival as Laufey joins their little knot of people. "Hello there! My name is Rasmorn Nikas Nesvyn von Natterhorn" he says cheerily. "Do you live in town here, or are you visiting for the festival?"
It shocks Laufey when the dark haired woman calls out to her. For a moment she doesn't respond except to absently touch her hair with her hand. Then she walks over to the woman and her friends.
"Greetings. Thank you... It is a pleasant day is it not?....You are um... part elf? I have never met another before..."
Rasmorn looks up at the new arrival as Laufey joins their little knot of people. "Hello there! My name is Rasmorn Nikas Nesvyn von Natterhorn" he says cheerily. "Do you live in town here, or are you visiting for the festival?"
Looking down toward the gnome Laufey smiles slightly. "My name is Laufey. I came yesterday with a caravan. I did not know of this festival until I was here."
Looking down toward the gnome Laufey smiles slightly. "My name is Laufey. I came yesterday with a caravan. I did not know of this festival until I was here."
"How fortuitous! Must have been a nice surprise. Where are you from?"
Wenona manages to spot a table only half-full, and quickly snags a spot on one of it's benches. She smiles and nods politely to the townsfolk at the table and proceeds to continue eating her chowder.
In reply to the gnome Laufey says "I am from Karlsgard, in the Thanelands. I left there some while ago and I have since traveled with caravans as a guard here. I have come to this town to hunt the Sandpoint Devil."
By the end of lunch, it is clear that the most-talked about dish will be Ameiko's curried salmon. The winterdrop mead served with it is also a huge hit, clearly overshadowing the offerings provided by the White Deer and the Hagfish.
The pie-eating contest in the afternoon (pies provided by Alma Avertin of Sandpoint Savories) is a good fun, as a dozen contestants each try to eat their blackberry pies the fastest. Jargie Quinn is able to get some of his own back from lunch, as he finishes first and receives the prize. In his speech, he chalks up his success to how he lost his leg, launching into yet another variation of the story of his injury.
Finally, as dusk draws near, everyone once again gathers before the Cathedral in preparation for the consecration. There is an excited tone to the crowd, an eagerness that seems to prevent them from being silent, even after Father Zantus takes the podium. Eventually, he pulls out a small rock and throws it down onto the stage. The stone lets out a loud crack, as though a peal of thunder had struck, and everyone grows hushed. A dog can be heard barking, woken from its napping by the loud noise. Father Zantus clears his throat, and begins to speak what is recognized as the Prayer of First Dreaming.
"Almighty Tender of Dreams, it is at this dusk that we beseech you..."
Suddenly, the dog's barking grows high-pitched and cuts off mid-sound, ending in more of a yelp. The crowd towards the northern end of the square begins screaming, as the panic quickly spreads through the crowd and they begin running about. As they clear out of the way, you can finally see what the cause of the commotion is - five short creatures with huge heads and ears with large mouths full of pointy teeth, wielding some sort of sword that looks like it might be made of scrap metal. They laugh almost maniacally as they stand over the body of the barking dog, and begin to sing with horribly off-key voices in their language.
"Goblins chew and Goblins bite.
Goblins cut and Goblins fight.
Stab the dog and cut the horse,
Goblins eat and take by force!
Goblins race and Goblins jump.
Goblins slash and Goblins bump.
Burn the skin and mash the head,
Goblins here and you be dead!
Chase the baby, catch the pup.
Bonk the head to shut it up.
Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed,
We be Goblins! You be food!"
Talia uses her crossbow and shoots at the closest Goblin.
-
Calling out. "Get them before they can get to the children!"
Whipping out her crossbow, Talia points it at the closest Goblin and pulls the trigger. The bolt flies from her crossbow, hitting the Goblin in his overly large head. His body goes head over heels before crashing to the ground, unmoving.
Two of the Goblins begin charging towards Laufey, eager to slay the pale-haired, slightly pointy-eared woman. One, however, stops halfway there as he spies a silver piece that had been dropped on the ground, scooping the shiny up and putting it into his pocket. The other, expecting to have help as he attacks, suddenly finds himself alone and misses his intended target before turning and yelling at the other in Goblin.
"Hey, stupid, we're supposed to kill longshanks and pick up shiny things later! Now get over here and help me kill this one!"
Another standing near the cart suddenly spies some salmon and venison left nearby, setting his dogslicer down and shoving the food in his pockets.
The final Goblin points his dogslicer at Talia and shouts in Goblin.
"You killed Bugstomp! You die now, longshanks!"
He then charges towards her, swinging his sword. The blade comes dangerously close to gashing her belly, but due to the goblins short reach, it ends up cutting her thigh, avoiding the most vital parts.
Goblin 1 6/6
Goblin 2 6/6
Goblin 3 6/6
Goblin 4 6/6
Talia 5/9
Somewhat startled, Isabella is caught quite off-guard. She is neither armed nor armored, as she was expecting a simple festival. She draws her dagger - the only weapon she's currently carrying - and lunges at the goblin that slashed Talia.
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When the goblins appeared, Wenona's initial instinct had been to attempt to cover as many townsfolk as possible while they fled, but then one of the women she'd seen in line for the venison drew her crossbow and felled one of the foul creatures. It was quick-as-lightning, and Wenona was more than a little impressed.
Then one of the little freaks charged right at the woman and sliced her damn leg open.
Looks like we're all playing hero today, she thought to herself as she sprung into action.
Drawing her scythe as she moves into the fray, she attempts to juke just outside of the pint-sized terror's reach:
...and moving to flank the creature with silver-haired woman, brings the scythe down with every ounce of force her muscles can generate:
Yasu draws an arrow and pulls it as he takes a step forward, firing a shot at the one stuffing a coin in his pocket.
"Ugh! How'd they get so far into town without anyone noticing?" he shouts.
Rasmorn backs away calmly from the goblins, keeping an eye on the one in the back. Laufey is a caravan guard, I'm sure she can take that goblin. Best keep the last one from approaching.
With a shout and a gesture, Rasmorn casts a spell, and a large lion appears in the midst of the goblin ranks. Rasmorn calls out in their language.
Laufey is quite thrown by the sudden appearance of attackers during the consecration. The singing, cavorting little creatures seem more like surprise entertainment than a real threat. There are so few of them, and they are so small. Who would do something so insanely suicidal as attack a crowd like this?
That impression lasts only a moment though, she also sees the real dead dog. And then two of them are rushing her with surprising speed, at least until one of them gets distracted and stops to grab something on the ground. Just as quickly three of them are dead. One almost immediately takes a bolt to the head. The one who stopped for the object is skewered by an arrow. A woman cuts down the one who made it far enough to attack the woman Talia, slashing it apart with, of all things, a scythe!
With so much to take in, plus a slash from goblin to her to side-step, Laufey is hard-pressed to draw her sword and respond. She does't have her balance or concentration in place when she swings.
Yasu, seeing the Goblins charging Laufey, draws an arrow to his greatbow and lets fly, taking one who was foolish enough to stop and pick something up in the torso and spinning him to the ground. "Ugh! How did they get so far into town without anyone noticing?" he shouts, though he is unsure if anyone will answer.
Slipping past the creature's reach, Wenona unlimbers her scythe, driving it down in a powerful overhand strike which embeds the blade in the creature's head. The creature falls to the ground immediately under the force of the blow, and lies still.
Laufey, confused and surprised by the Goblin attack, and still not quite sure if they are part of the entertainment or actual raiders, draws her sword and strikes at the one who charged her. The confusion she feels, however, causes her to swing off-balance, and she swings the sword over the creature's head.
Rasmorn draws upon his magic studies, casting a spell that causes a lion to appear, menacing the one remaining by the cart. He lets out a shriek at its sudden appearance, and Rasmorn demands the Goblin's surrender.
Goblin 1 Dead
Goblin 2 6/6
Goblin 3 6/6
Goblin 4 Dead
Goblin 5 Dead
Talia 5/9
Talia will move to the side and shoot at the Goblin on the table, the one not in combat.
With the goblin slain before she can even get her dagger out of its sheath, Isabella instead counts on calling down a blessing on the embattled townsfolk.
"Reymenda, don't let this happen again," she whispers. "Not again."
Isabella preys to Reymenda, asking for her blessing to aid in the defense of the town. Her holy symbol glows momentarily as the blessing settles on her erstwhile allies, helping to guide their aim and fortify their courage.
Talia moves to get a clear shot of the furthest Goblin, but she is unable to steady her aim on her injured leg and the bolt from her crossbow goes wide.
The Goblin who attacked Laufey, seeing his friend get taken out, shouts something yet again before turning and hacking at the off-balance caravan guard, catching her a blow to the thigh that leaves blood running down her leg.
The Goblin on the table grabs his dogslicer and leaps at the lion, bringing down his weapon in a fierce overhand chop - which misses the target completely as he lands in front of the beast. Snarling, he prepares to face off with it, focused on it as his main threat.
Goblin 1 Dead
Goblin 2 6/6
Goblin 3 6/6
Goblin 4 Dead
Goblin 5 Dead
Talia 5/9
Laufey 10/16
The cut stings. It continues to keep Laufey's head out of what she's trying to do. Again she fails to catch the little monster's body with her weapon. But now she is beginning to realize something.
Ah, these must be the goblins I have heard so much about since coming to Varisia.
Isabella glances at the tactical situation, then tries to help Talia to finish off the threat between them.
(includes +2 flanking and +1 bless)
Seeing one of her other companions-by-circumstance catch a blade from one of the goblin invaders, Wenona moves to assist her. She swipes her scythe in a horizontal arc towards the creature...
...and curses loudly as she cleaves nothing but air.
Rasmorn continues to concentrate on his illusion, while also running to get into a better position to pester the goblin. He causes the lion to take a swipe at the goblin, but purposefully makes it "miss" the little beast.
Yasu draws another javelin-like arrow and pulls back, the muscles on his arms bulging and rippling unnaturally with the exertion. The one engaged with the illusory lion seems to be distracted, so he turns on the one attacking his only 'friend' in the city.
His arrow nails the goblin to the ground, impaling it before Laufey's feet. The arrow quivers loudly with halted force.